CHARLOTTE — A judge is expected to make a decision soon in a lawsuit against York Memorial Park in Charlotte, where families claim the cemetery lost burial records, misplaced bodies, and engaged in other misconduct.
The lawsuit has been ongoing for years, with family members alleging that York Memorial Park has failed to maintain proper records of their deceased loved ones.
Many have shared personal stories of their struggles to locate where their relatives are buried, emphasizing the emotional toll these issues have caused them.
Mario Black, a community activist, expressed his heartbreak over the situation, recalling the loss of his father, Rudolph Black Sr., who was buried at York Memorial in April 2019.
“We are human, and it’s heart-wrenching,” said Black. He further described his pain, stating, “Going out there and not seeing his name it left a void in me; it was heartbreaking.”
Tim Hardin, another family member seeking justice, reported that he bought a family plot for his mother and father, but when he attempted to bury his mother years later, he found an unrelated person in her designated spot.
“They sold a deed with a headstone, my mother and father’s headstone is there now, my mother’s name is over some person I don’t even know,” Hardin explained.
He has been pursuing a resolution since 2004, saying, “This has been since ’04, and I’m still here at the courthouse to the day, still trying to get my parents together.”
Kay Morrison-Sanders, who worked at York Memorial, shared her distress upon discovering that the cemetery had lost the burial records of her mother, Rebecca Morrison, who was buried there in 1970.
“It disturbs me they actually don’t have a heart,” Morrison-Sanders said, highlighting her disappointment with the cemetery’s handling of burial records.
The attorney for York Memorial Park declined to comment on the case. Currently, there is no timeline for when the judge will issue a decision regarding the lawsuit.
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